Call answering systems providing a plurality of announcements from which a user may select have become very common. Using such a system, a user presses a key or sequence of keys to specify the desired information. For example, a user specifies desired information by entering an extension number, or by selecting from a list of choices in a menu.
Requiring a user to specify desired information with a keypad presents many problems. One problem is that a user unfamiliar with the system must spend time and give attention to learning how to specify desired information by listening to guidance from the system. A user learns how to specify, for example, when listening to the message: “press 3 for location, press 8 for sales”. Another problem is that the user generally needs to look at the keypad to press the appropriate key or keys. Another problem is that available information is often not easily browsed. Using the previous example, it may not be easy for a user to hear some information regarding “location” and then some information regarding “sales”. Another problem is that it is generally not easy for an authorized user to make changes to the information system from the convenience of a telephone.